“They’ve got a brilliant vision to turn Sirte into the next – with the help of the municipality of Sirte, to turn it into the next Dubai. The only thing they’ve got to do is clear the dead bodies away, and then they’ll be there,”

he said at a side meeting in Manchester. The comment produced laughter at the event, but a storm of criticism once it was made public. Several of his fellow Tory ministers and MPs also voiced disapproval.

He has been unavailable for comment ever since amid renewed calls for his resignation, and some observers believe this latest gaffe may, if not cost him his job, at least see him put his leadership ambitions on hold.

Does he not understand the tastelessness of what he says? – Matthew Parris reacts to BorisJohnson’s comments on Libya pic.twitter.com/Lq7DwUQ3Dk— BBC Newsnight (BBCNewsnight) October 4, 2017

Teresa May has seen several of her recent public statements, on Brexit for example, contradicted or spun by Johnson but in public at least the pair maintain close-ranked unity, and conference is no place for